Bowling alley



R. KARR BOWLING ALLEY Aug. 13, 1929.

Filed Oct. 19. 1928 Rayma/@Kang Inventar @MMM Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

UNITED vSTATES RAYMOND KARR, OF JOHNSTO'WN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOWLING ALLEY.

Application filed October 19, 1928. Serial No. 313,496.

The present invention relates to bowling alleys, the object of which is to incorporate guide means in the alleys to assi-st the bowler in projecting the ball, in the proper zone,

for impingement with the objective pin or..

pins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bowling alley equipped with guide means for the bowler to determine the position most adapted for him' to take on the alley before lofting the ball, and to additionally provide theoretical guides for the ball, after it has left the hands of the bowler,

to assist accurate projection of the ball against the objective pin or pins.

A further object of the invention is to con-v spicuously mark the alley for visually guiding a bowler and the ball projected by him, without in any way changing the usual make- 2o up of the alley or detracting from its appearance or effectiveness.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the present preferred form of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of a bowling alley embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View, looking along the line 2 2 in Fig. l in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 3 is a detailed enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view through the alley; and

Fig. 4 i-s a detailed enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4;-4 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow.

The bowling alley constructed in accordance with the present invention is generally designated 5, and is made up of a laminated body consisting of boards equipped with complemental tongues and grooves 6 to permit the boards to be interlitted and thereby prevent relative vertical movement of the same. It is to be understood that a standard bowling alley is approximately sixty (60) feet long, one end of whichIv is adapted for the reception of the pins, while about ten (l0) feet at the opposite end constitutes the ball lofting zone, designated in the drawings at 7. Beyond the ball lofting zone it is customary to provide a runway, designated 8 in the drawings, which is a continuation of the alley and is occupied by the bowler preparatory to delivering the ball. The point where the runway joins the alley is known as the foul line, and in the drawings is designated at 9. The alley 5 proper is provided with the customary gutters l0, which are for a purpose well known in the art.

It is of course, well known in the art that a bowler, when he is about to project or loft the ball onto the alley for impingement with the pins, stands on the runway 8 and advances either by walking or running toward the foul line, at which point the ball is vpermitted to leave the bowlers hand and come in Contact with the alley at some part of the zone 7. If a bowler can determine the position best suited for him preparatory to, and at the time of delivery of the ball, and correspondingly determine the particular portion of the alley with which the ball is to be engaged, his effectiveness in knocking down the pins with the ball is greatly increased. This is usually difficult to determine and consequently, it is the purport of the present invention to devise means through the medium of which the bowler is guided in order to cause delivery of the ball in a manner and at a point which will procure the most effective results.

For the purpose of carrying out this invention I employ a series of guide strips, preferably made of fiber and insert them in the alley at predetermined points. Certain of the guide strips extend longitudinally through the alley, as indicated at 11, and are provided with tongues and grooves which intert with the boards of the alley. The strips 1l may be of any desired width and preferably extend from the terminus 12 of the lofting zone to the free end 13 of the runway 8. I have found that in standard alleys it is preferable to use three longitudinally extending strips, the center of which extends through the longitudinal axis of the alley proper and runway 8. Correspondingly, this central strip is in a direct line with the head pin, so that a ball continued straight down the alley from the center strip will impinge against the head pin. The other two longitudinally extending strips, which will be referred to as the lateral strips, are in parallelism with the central strip and are remote from the gutters 10 and margins of the runway 8, as illustrated in Fig. l. In this way lanes are provided between and outside of the strips l1 to provide visual guides for the player and theoretical guides for the ball as it is projected. It is customary for a right-hand bowler to project the ball from the right-hand side and a lefthand bowler to project the ball from the opposite side. It is not unusual, however, for both rightand left-hand bowlers to project the ball centrally on the alley, and the presentinvention is designed to suit the whim or caprice of any bowler. Either the guide strip themselves may be usedl to assist the vbowler in directing the ball in the proper course for projection against a pin or pins, or the lanes between the strips may be used for this purpose. Since the pins are always set up on spots, it is only necessary for a bowler,

familiar with his own style of bowling, to start the ball in the lofting zone in one of the lanes or along one of the guide strips to insure impingement of the ball against a certain pin or pins. Consequently the ball may be delivered against the pins with a greater degree of accuracy.

In .addition to the longitudinally extending strips 11, the present invention embodies transversely extending strips 14 and 15. Each of the strips 14: and 15 is composed of a plurality of parts which extend through the alley and intert the longitudinally eX- tending strips 11, as shown to advantage in Fig. 1l. The strip 14 in the present instance, constitutes the foul line, while the strip 15 is adapted to serve as a starting line for bowlers of small stature. Heretofore some bowlers of small stature have been handicapped because of their inability to start, when making the run with the ball preparatory to delivering the same, at the same place, with the result that although the ball was delivered in exactly the same way, its effectiveness varied. Then too, bowlers are bothered at times, especially the less experienced bowlers, in being compelled; to abruptly shorten their step to avoid stepping over the foul line, with the result that the trajectory of the ball is distorted. By pro.

riding the transverse guide strip 15 the bowler can accurately measure his step to the foul line with the result that the ball may be delivered at the foul line without any change in the pace of the bowler. In this way a cooperation is obtained between the strips 11 and 15, since by using the strip 15 as a starting point, the bowler may deliver the ball at or about the foul line, so as to impinge against the bowling alley, in the lofting zone of the latter at a predetermined point above one of the longitudinally extending guide strips, or in the lanes between said strips. For bowlers of larger stature who desire a longer run, it is apparent that their starting point may be at the free end of the runway 8.

It is of course to be understood that the guide strips are embodied in the bowling alley in a manner in which in no way retards or impedes the bowler in traversing the alley. Moreover, the strips used are of v substantially the same integrity as the material from which the bowling alley proper is composed, so that the Wear on the strips and alley proper will be uniform. I am aware that changes may be made in the arrangement of the guides and reserve the right to such changes as may come within the scope ot the claims hereto appended.

1. In a bowling alley, guide means extending longitudinally of the alley between the edges thereof to serve as visual guides for the bowler.

2. A bowling alley, in combination with an alley composed in part of a letting space and runway, and guide strips extending longitudinally through the length of the lofting space and runway.

3. In a bowling alley including a lofting space and runway, guide strips mounted in and extending longitudinally throughout the length of the lofting zone and runway, and other guide strips mounted in and extending transversely throughout the breadth of the lofting space and runway.

4. A bowling alley including a lofting space and a runway, in combination with guide strips mounted in and extending longitudinally and transversely throughout the .length and breadth of the letting space.

RAYMOND KARR. 

